Playlist
by C-Unit
Summary: COMPLETED! Pure LG Fluff to the limit! The mystery is solved and new love is discovered. Read and review! (If you want to)
1. Discovery

DISCLAIMER: I don't own anything involving Lizzie McGuire, and I don't plan on it, either, so don't sue. This disclaimer applies to every chapter in this story.

CHAPTER 1: DISCOVERY

Lizzie McGuire bounded home, happy that another day of her sophomore year in high school was ending, and on top of that, it was a Friday, the second best day of the week. The sun was shining, the birds were singing, and everything felt as if it was in its right place. Her blonde hair glowed in the sun, as did her wide smile. Lizzie felt _good_, and there was nothing that was going to spoil her mood. Not only was school over, she was heading out with her friends Gordo and Miranda for a night of fun and excitement – even though hanging out at the Star Spangled Diner was neither fun, nor exciting to anyone but them.

As Lizzie walked down the road, lost in her thoughts, something caught her eye. It was lying on the ground about twenty yards in front of her, reflecting the sunlight in a glare. It seemed relatively small, but also important. Lizzie approached it with an air of curiosity.

She reached the object and picked it up. It was the size of a matchbook and was fairly thin. It was silver and had various buttons placed on it. She recognized it almost immediately. It was an MP3 player, and it was just lying on the street.

Lizzie looked around the street, seeing that no one was nearby, no one she could ask about the MP3 player, anyway. She shoved the player in her bag and kept walking. She would ask around at school tomorrow to see if any of her classmates lost the tiny object. For now, her mind was on other, more important things.

Lizzie got home and could smell chocolate chip cookies baking in the oven. She smiled. Could the day get any better?

"Hi Mom!" called out Lizzie. Her mother appeared from the kitchen wearing an apron and oven mitts. Her front was covered in flour, and so was her nose.

"Hi dear, how was school?" asked Mrs. McGuire.

"It was alright. Nothing special" Lizzie answered in her regular, teenage way.

"Well, Miranda called about thirty seconds ago, so call her back" said Mrs. McGuire as she headed back into the kitchen. Lizzie nodded and ran upstairs. She picked up the phone in her room and started to dial Miranda's number. As she did this she opened up her closet and started pulling out clothes she _could just maybe_ wear to the Diner.

The phone rang a couple of times and there was a click at the other end.

"Bueno" answered a familiar voice.

"Hey Miranda, what's happening?" asked Lizzie.

"Nothing much, what can I say? Just seeing if you were up for the Diner tonight…"

"Oh yeah! Of course I am! Hey, do you think Ethan'll be there?" Lizzie asked, grinning. Her crush on Ethan hadn't waned over the years and she tried so hard to impress him sometimes it even sickened herself.

"I hope so, he is SO cute" answered Miranda. The two giggled and gossiped for a few minutes before they parted ways. Lizzie looked at herself in the mirror and started to figure out an outfit for the evening.

When she got to the diner, she was pretty much ready to take on the whole world. She was wearing a white shirt with a red logo in the center, and a stylish jean skirt that had designer red lines splayed across it. She saw Miranda and Gordo sitting on an outside picnic table and smiled.

Miranda had gotten taller and curvier as she grew up – just like Lizzie – and was wearing tight black pants and a tight camouflage t-shirt. Various pieces of jewelry adorned her body. Gordo, on the other hand, had filled out his body during puberty and was a toned, lanky, and tall young man. He wore a blue button up shirt with a white t-shirt underneath that, with denim shorts that went just below his knees. Lizzie thought that he was handsome, but wouldn't admit that to anyone, especially Miranda.

The Star Spangled Diner itself was basically an outdoor restaurant that resembled something out of the fifties, right down to the waitresses on roller skates and the florescent lights. The Three Amigos sat on a picnic table located near the front door of the main diner part. They were drinking milkshakes out of Styrofoam cups and sharing a basket of onion rings.

"What should we do tonight?" asked Gordo. Since he had gotten his driver's license they pretty much tried to go anywhere and everywhere on a Friday night, but lately, their motivation had dried up.

"I dunno, a movie, maybe?" asked Miranda.

"Anything good on?" asked Gordo.

"Oh! How about 'Love at the End of the World'?" exclaimed Lizzie. "I heard that it was SO romantic." Miranda giggled and Gordo rolled his eyes.

"There's no way I'm seeing that" he said. "As a filmmaker, I can't. My reputation would be ruined." Lizzie giggled.

"How about we go mini-golfing?" she asked. Miranda rolled her eyes.

"Oh, come on. We do that all the time…" Miranda said, trailing off.

"The dorks trying to figure out what to do with their lives?" said a voice from behind them. Lizzie looked up as Gordo and Miranda turned around. Kate Saunders had stepped up to them with Claire, preparing to start a sparring match. Kate hadn't changed much from junior high. Her chest got bigger (many said it was implants but she denied it) and so did her ego.

"Leave us alone, Kate. Go spread your disease somewhere else" said Miranda. Kate just rolled her eyes.

"Whatever. Claire and I have a party to go to tonight. Obviously one you've never heard of, you losers. Come on," she said, motioning for Claire to follow her, "let's go have some fun." The two entered the diner and disappeared from view.

"Wanna follow her to that party?" asked Miranda. Gordo laughed.

"Let's do it" he said. Lizzie just smiled, still rattled over Kate's comments. Kate was always a thorn in Lizzie's side, but it was just becoming annoying. How much worse could Kate actually get?

Gordo got up, picking up the garbage from their table.

"I'll be right back" he said, entering the diner. Lizzie and Miranda got up from their seat and headed towards Gordo's car. They waited around for a few seconds before Gordo showed up. A blush was on his face and he was looking at the ground.

"What's up?" asked Lizzie, noticing the change in mood almost immediately.

"I'll tell you guys later sometime" he said as he opened the car door, stepping inside the car. Lizzie and Miranda just looked at each other.

The party was pretty good. Lizzie and Miranda danced the night away while Gordo just mingled. It was like every party they ever went to but to see Kate angry at their presence was just the icing on the cake to a pretty decent night. By the time Lizzie got home she was exhausted.

She put on her pajamas and moved her schoolbag from her bed. The MP3 player she had picked up fell out of the bag and plopped onto her sheets with barely a sound. Lizzie picked it up and looked it over. She turned it on and smiled.

"I don't think it'll hurt to have a little listen" she said to herself. She grabbed some headphones off of her desk and plugged them while hopping into bed. She pressed play and turned off her light, letting the music envelope her ears.

What she heard blew her away. She had never heard of any of the songs before and each one was really well done. The lyrics hit home and she couldn't get enough of what was being played. The exhaustion she felt from before was gone as Lizzie became more and more enraptured with what she was hearing.

It was like each song sang to her specifically, as if each lyric were meant for her. It all sounded great and it gave her that warm feeling inside. She just _had _to find out who owned these songs.


	2. Dilemma

CHAPTER 2: DILEMMA

All weekend long, Lizzie stayed in her room listening to the MP3 player. She had to replace the batteries a few times and even copied the songs onto her computer for later use. She just lay in bed, trying to picture whoever had this absolutely spectacular playlist of songs. It had become an obsession.

School came in the morning, and Lizzie met Gordo outside of their lockers, which were right next to each other. Gordo was wearing blue baggy jeans and a white t-shirt with a logo on it, a sharp contrast to Lizzie's bright, stylish wardrobe. Gordo looked a little glum, which was strange for a guy who normally liked coming to school.

"Is something up?" Lizzie asked, putting her books into her locker.

"Ah, nothing really" said Gordo, who waited for her to finish.

"Come on, what's up?" Gordo just smirked.

"I lost something over the weekend, and I can't find it anywhere. I'm sure it'll show up, so I'm not stressing out." Miranda approached the two waving. Lizzie and Gordo smiled at her.

"What did you lose?" Lizzie asked, returning to their conversation.

"My new MP3 player." Lizzie stopped in her tracks.

"Uh, Gordo, what…what did the player look like?"

"It was small, silver…pretty plain looking." Lizzie went wide-eyed. Could the player she was listening to all weekend be Gordo's player?

"Lizzie, you look like you've seen a ghost" said Miranda.

"I do?" squeaked Lizzie.

"Yeah, you do. Are you feeling okay?" asked Gordo.

"Uh, yeah, I am…I just have to go…to the washroom." Lizzie grabbed her stuff quickly and left. Gordo and Miranda looked at her strangely.

"What was up with her?" asked Miranda.

"Maybe she's got her period" commented Gordo, smiling. Miranda slapped his arm and his smirk vanished as soon as it came.

"You're an idiot" said Miranda as the two started to walk to class.

"It was just a joke" he said, rolling his eyes. "Not a big deal."

"Speaking of things 'not being a big deal', what was up with you on Friday?" asked Miranda.

"What are you talking about?"

"After we ate at the Diner you were acting all weird and quiet. At the party you were all nervous. What's going on?"

"You wouldn't believe me if I told you" said Gordo as they entered their classroom and sat down.

"Try me" Miranda said, putting her hand on her heart. Gordo took a deep breath and exhaled.

"Kate asked me out."

"What!" asked Miranda, a little loudly.

"The one, the only, the Kate Saunders asked me out." Gordo looked over at Miranda, who had her mouth agape in shock.

"On a date!" she exclaimed.

"No, on a crime spree!" Gordo answered, sarcastically. "Of course on a date!"

"Why!" asked Miranda, still trying to grasp the situation.

"I don't know why!"

"Are you going to go out with her?" Miranda asked. Gordo fell silent. "Gordo…"

"Yeah, I am." Miranda rolled her eyes and made a motion that signaled she wasn't happy.

"Why! Good lord…"

"Cause she's pretty, and sometimes she treats me okay…so yeah, I'll date her, and see how it goes." Gordo looked down at his hands.

"Lizzie's going to freak out" said Miranda. Gordo's head shot up and he shook it back and forth.

"No, don't tell her!"

"Why not?"

"Cause she'll murder me! Lizzie's still bothered by Kate a lot!"

"Then why the hell would you pick Kate over your best friend like that?" asked Miranda, who was exasperated over the situation.

"I haven't been on a date in a while…I guess I'll just take my opportunities as they come." Gordo was looking at his hands again and was blushing. Miranda decided to leave him alone.

"Alright, I won't tell her. But you owe me, big time."

Lizzie sat in a stall in the girls' bathroom. She stared at the MP3 player in front of her. It was Gordo's, she was pretty sure of that. All those songs that had affected her so deeply – Gordo listened to them on a regular basis. It was mind-boggling. Sure, she and Gordo were best friends since the first days of their life, and she had even kissed him a couple times, (Just to say thank you!) but she never considered him as anything more than a friend. But now…now the songs he liked, she was in love with. The things that represented his personality had consumed her for that entire weekend with no abandon. And that scared her.

Lizzie stuffed the player into her bag and walked out of the bathroom, determined to put things straight with Gordo. Conflicting emotions and thoughts filled her head, but she needed to talk to him as soon as possible.


	3. Conflict

CHAPTER 3: CONFLICT

Lizzie entered the classroom a little late, and the teacher gave her a look. She sat next to Miranda, stiff as a board and avoiding eye contact with everyone.

"Are you alright?" asked Miranda. "You're acting really weird."

"I'm not feeling that well, that's it" answered Lizzie.

"Does it involve anything that comes at the end of a sentence?" asked Gordo, that goofy grin on his face. Miranda punched him the arm, making him grunt and rub his side.

"Is there anything wrong?" asked the teacher, irritably. The three shook their heads.

Lizzie kept glancing over at Gordo, trying to figure out what he was thinking about. She had heard rumors of him having a crush on her, but she was never certain if they were true or not. Kate told her once that Gordo liked her but in the end she couldn't be trusted. All these feelings had exploded all over Lizzie, and she was just beginning to sort out the mess. Suddenly, a voice entered her thoughts.

"Can I go to the washroom?" asked Kate, her hand in the air. The teacher nodded and Kate headed out the door. As she was passing by Gordo, Lizzie noticed her dropping a note secretly onto his desk as she passed. Gordo unfolded it and read it, actually cracking a smile. Lizzie looked on, confused as Gordo quickly stuffed the note into his pocket.

Gordo was standing outside his locker, fiddling with the lock when Lizzie confronted him. Her mind had been more curious than angry. She was obsessing over the note endlessly during class. Kate never gave Gordo any notes ever and it was pretty much common knowledge that Kate thought he was just a bug in the grand scheme of things. And why had he smiled over the note? That's what had irked Lizzie the most.

"So, what's new?" asked Lizzie, breaking the ice.

"Uh, not much. We just had class, but you knew that already" said Gordo.

"I saw that Kate gave you a note when she went to the bathroom…"started Lizzie.

"Look, Lizzie, we need to talk" said Gordo, interrupting Lizzie.

"What is it?" Lizzie was concerned.

"Kate and I are going on a date this Friday. That note she gave me was to confirm that she'd be able to make it." Lizzie looked at him in shock and silence. She wasn't expecting that – well, it was the thought at the very, very, very back of her mind – and she was floored by its surprise.

"You're going out with Kate? When did this happen?" Gordo was looking at the ground.

"That time at the Star Spangled Diner. I was gonna tell you, but…" Gordo started.

"But what? That you were ashamed, that you knew you were betraying me?" Lizzie asked in a cruel, coarse tone.

"I'm not betraying you Lizzie…you know I don't do anything to hurt you Lizzie" said Gordo, this time looking her in the eye. "I'm your best friend, and this isn't an attack on you, I swear."

"It sure as hell feels like it! I mean…how could you? You know how I feel about Kate! What compelled you to decide to start dating her?" Lizzie was fuming now, her conflicting emotions from earlier filtering down to anger.

"Look Lizzie…I'm not as popular or as good looking as you are. I'm not getting asked out every couple of weeks or having people pay attention to me. When someone like Kate asks me out a date, I don't say no…" Gordo had become quiet and his throat had become dry, judging by his voice.

Lizzie took a lot of sympathy towards him. Her anger was rapidly fading away and she was left with a sad feeling in her chest.

"But…but why Kate? She never really treated any of us - you included – very nicely" said Lizzie. She put her hand on Gordo's arm and he looked up at her. He sighed deeply.

"I was just so sick of waiting…waiting for someone to ask me out on a date. A guy gets lonely sometimes. When you can't get what you want, you settle for second best." With that, Gordo walked away from Lizzie, leaving her in the hallway, watching him leave.


	4. Sadness

CHAPTER 4: SADNESS

With that, Lizzie fell into a deep depression. Her best friend was sad for some reason, and she couldn't help him. It was obvious from what Gordo said that Kate was a last resort and that he liked someone else. This made Lizzie's mind whirl for endless reasons as she lay on her bed, listening to the same songs she had discovered on the walk home from school.

If they were Gordo's songs – which Lizzie just assumed they were - then that made her even sadder. She felt such an emotional connection to the lyrics and the music that it made her appreciate Gordo all the more. Lizzie didn't think she was in love with him (no one ever falls in love over songs) but she was missing his smile, his look and his voice.

Lizzie remembered a night out on the beach, under the stars and the clear sky. Miranda, Gordo, Lizzie, and Jeff (Miranda's boyfriend at the time) had taken a picnic basket to the beach and had stayed until it had gotten dark. While Miranda and Jeff made a fire, Lizzie and Gordo went back to his car to pick up some drinks they'd left in the trunk. She felt happy next to him, sharing the moment. Lizzie had felt nervous but happy for some strange reason – almost as if her heart was beating faster due to pure happiness. Maybe she DID like Gordo, and this little MP3 Player – forever stuck on repeat as each song swirled by – was just her wakeup call to that fact. Whatever it was, Lizzie knew that her feelings for Gordo had changed. Whether it was the songs, her jealousy over Kate, or whatever, there was something new inside of her heart that pined for Gordo.

But this just made Lizzie feel worse. Gordo was going on a date with Kate, and Kate was more popular, better looking, and was more athletic than Lizzie. She knew that kind of stuff never really mattered to Gordo in the first place, but having him date someone like that made Lizzie think that she was plain, dull, and definitely uninteresting to him. She noticed that he was cute and handsome sometimes…did he ever think that she was attractive? Her mind swirled. Lizzie wasn't tired anymore, so got up and quickly dressed into some jeans and a hoodie. She snuck out of the house and decided to go for a walk.

What Lizzie didn't know, however, was that Gordo himself was having the same kind of restless night. As he lay in bed, his thoughts would overcome his exhaustion and he wouldn't be able to sleep. He was thinking about the morning, when Lizzie argued with him in front of his locker. Was there jealousy in her voice? A small part of himself wanted to have Lizzie jealous of Kate – it would mean that Lizzie DID like Gordo – but he knew in his heart of hearts that Lizzie would never ever fall for him. They had seen each other every day since they were at least three years old, so why would anything change now? It angered Gordo and he couldn't get his mind off of what he was thinking, so he too snuck out of the house.

Gordo ended up outside a 24-hour coffee shop. Its fluorescent lights buzzed brightly in the late night air and there were only a few customers inside of it. Gordo looked in through the glass windows, seeing if they had anything he could eat or drink that would seem even a little bit appetizing. As he was looking through, something caught his eye.

It was a very familiar person, sitting on a stool and hunched over the counter. Her blond hair was messy and hung down to her shoulders in waves. She was wearing the hoodie he got her for Christmas that one time and the jeans he always thought were so cool. It was definitely Lizzie, and although Gordo could only see the back of her, his heart jumped. The two were definitely nervous around each other since that little spat had occurred earlier in the day, and it's not like Lizzie could see him or anything, but it still made him a little nervous. Gordo debated with himself for a few seconds, wondering if he should go in or not. After a little while, he decided that it would be for the best.

He opened the door and a bell chimed. Lizzie didn't look up from whatever she was drinking and Gordo sat next to her.

"Shouldn't you be asleep or something?" asked Gordo. Lizzie lifted herself up in surprise, not hiding anything from Gordo. After the initial shock wore off Lizzie became herself.

"I'd ask you the same thing" she said, not lifting her head up.

"I couldn't sleep" said Gordo.

"Too excited over your little date?" Lizzie said with some menace in her voice. Gordo chalked it up to her being tired.

"Nah…just thinking about things. How about you? Why are you up at this ungodly hour?"

"I was thinking too."

"About what?"

"Just…everything."

"That's what I was thinking about too. We really are two peas in a pod, McGuire" said Gordo as cheerfully and as un-forced as possible. All Lizzie could do was sigh.

"Yeah…" she unenthusiastically said. There was a little silence so Gordo ordered a hot chocolate from the woman behind the counter.

"So, what are you drinking? Wait…let me guess…peppermint tea?" asked Gordo as he sat back down. Lizzie nodded.

"You love hot chocolate, don't you?" she asked him.

"Of course…perfect to drink, don't you think?" Gordo smiled at his rhyme and he caught a quick smile from Lizzie. There was more silence as the two sipped their drinks for a little while. Lizzie decided to break the silence, even if it meant stirring up more trouble.

"Gordo, do you actually like Kate, or what? What's going on?" she asked. Gordo took a deep breath. He should have been expecting this, but was unprepared for it nonetheless.

"I don't know. Probably not, but it doesn't hurt to try, does it?" Little did he know how much it actually did hurt her. There was more silence. Lizzie summed up all the courage she had inside of her. It was go time.

"Gordo?" she said.

"Yeah?" He looked over at her.

"I think I'm falling in love with you. That's why I've been so strange lately." Gordo gulped and Lizzie just kept staring into her drink. Her face had gone all red and hot and tears had started to climb into her eyes.

Gordo took a deep breath.

"Lizzie…I'm in love with you. All that stuff about going for second best…I was talking about you. You're the one I really want but I was almost certain that you didn't want to go out with me. That's why I went for Kate…not to make you mad, but to try and get over you." Lizzie turned and looked at him.

"Really?" she asked. Gordo just nodded. She leaned in and gave him a soft kiss on the lips. They lingered there, taking in everything they could before their lips separated.

Gordo slowly breathed in and exhaled.

"Wow" was all he could say.

"Double-wow" added Lizzie. They returned to drinking their drinks. They were both smiling wide and the lonely feelings they had felt earlier were gone.

"So…" started Gordo, "When did you figure out that you started liking me?" Lizzie just smiled.

"I found this on the ground" Lizzie said, as she put the MP3 Player on the counter and slid it across the counter towards him. "I had listened to the songs on it and I just…well…they weren't like anything I had ever heard before. When you had told me that you had lost it…I started to think about us and what you meant to me." Lizzie hung her head, embarrassed at her confession. Gordo just stared at her, wide-eyed.

"Uh, Lizzie?" piped up Gordo. Lizzie turned and looked at him.

"Yeah?"

"That's not my MP3 player."


	5. Trouble

**A/N - I just got rocked with major assignments I have to do for school. (21 projects to finish in 1 month!) This will make my posting and writing a little more sporadic over the next few weeks, so I thought I'd give my loyal readers a chapter quickly before I hit the books. Enjoy!**

CHAPTER 5: TROUBLE

"What do you mean?" asked Lizzie, wide-eyed and trembling.

"That's not my MP3 player. That's someone else's…"started Gordo.

"But I thought that you had lost yours…that it was silver and small and…"

"Yeah, I got it back today. My dad had borrowed it without asking me." There was silence between the two. Lizzie was shocked and confused.

"If this isn't yours, then whose is it?" she asked Gordo. He just shook his head.

"I have no idea." Lizzie suddenly felt very angry.

"Oh my god, I can't believe this just happened…what the hell?..." Lizzie started to ramble. Gordo put his hand on her arm and rubbed it trying to soothe her.

"It's okay Lizzie…" he started but Lizzie stood up abruptly.

"Get away from me!" she said, picking up the player and the drink cup, trying to sort her things in a dignified manner.

"What? Why? I'm trying to help!" Gordo said with a pleading and cracking voice.

"Well, you're not! All that stuff about being in love with me and thinking that Kate's second best…and that kiss! What were you thinking?" Lizzie hissed at him as she headed towards the door of the coffee shop. Gordo followed her out of the door and stopped her on the sidewalk outside.

"What was I thinking? You kissed back! You're the one that told me YOU were falling for ME!" Gordo hissed back.

"That was because of this" said Lizzie, waving around the MP3 player. Gordo just looked at her strangely. Lizzie searched for the words to explain to him what had happened to her over that beautiful weekend.

"When I heard this, it was like someone was there, talking to me…about me…like they really knew everything about me and how I felt and it was so comforting…when you mentioned how you had lost your player…I thought it was you and I thought more about you and how great it would be for us to go out…and…" Lizzie trailed off.

"It would be great for us to date, Lizzie. You thought about it and…" started Gordo.

"No, you don't get it! I only thought that stuff because of the songs on this!" she yelled, waving the player around. "You've never said these things to me, ever! These aren't your songs!" Lizzie was breathing deeply and steam from her mouth rose into the night air. Gordo was taking short, deep breaths too.

"I've tried SO hard to tell you so many things but I never had a chance to do that. I love you Lizzie, and that hasn't changed for the longest time. You told me you thought about things and that you're falling for me. That can't just be about the music, Lizzie. That has to be something else…"Gordo trailed off. He could already see that he was starting to lose her. She had that confused look on her face and he could see she needed some space.

"I can't deal with this right now" said Lizzie. She turned around and left Gordo standing in front of the store. Her mind whirled, her feelings mixed, and her she felt like she was going to cry. She expected Gordo to come up to her and try and talk to her again, to romantically take her in his arms and give her the best kiss in the world. But he didn't. He just watched her walk away. Lizzie was now more confused than ever. Why was she disappointed in him for not running after her?


	6. Emptiness

CHAPTER 6: EMPTINESS

Gordo watched Lizzie speed away, down the street towards her house. His chest felt heavy and he didn't know what to do with himself. The events of the past two minutes seemed like a blur and he had no idea where he and Lizzie stood now.

He wanted to punch the wall and kick himself for opening his big mouth about the MP3 player not being his – Lizzie had totally just said she loved him – but it was too late to beat himself up over things like that. It was all a matter of trying to make things better, and as fast as possible. It was the Gordo way. He just had to focus.

Gordo walked home, alone and cold. Morning sunlight had started to peek onto the streets, giving everything a dim orange glow. Gordo felt exhausted all of a sudden, crashing from the adrenaline rush that had just occurred. His pocket vibrated and he realized that it was his cellphone. Gordo stuck his hand in his jeans and pulled the phone to his face. He hoped to high heaven that it was Lizzie, wanting to talk.

"Hello?" he asked.

"Hey Gordo, it's me!" Gordo took a sharp breath when the cheery tone of Kate Saunders filled his ears.

"Hey, what's happening?" he asked.

"I'm not calling too early, am I?" she asked, with sincerity. Gordo looked at his watch and was amazed to see that it was almost the time that he would be waking up for school.

"No, not at all. I was up anyway." Gordo rubbed his burning eyes. It was going to be a long day.

"Okay, cool. I was wondering if you might be able to give me a ride today. My mom took away my car privileges cause I was at that party a couple of nights ago. So is it okay?" she asked. Gordo took a deep breath and hesitated. He didn't know what to do. He had to fix things with Lizzie and if she saw him with Kate he wouldn't know how she'd react to it all.

"Yeah, okay. I'll pick you up in about half an hour, okay?" Gordo said, with apprehension in his voice.

"Okay, see you then!" she said. She then made a kissing sound over the phone and hung up. Gordo turned off his phone and started to jog. He needed a shower, caffeine, and a change of clothes.

Kate lived in the rich part of town. While Lizzie, Gordo, and Miranda all had modest homes, Kate's house was a large mansion with three garages and a big swimming pool. Gordo always felt out of place when he was in this neighborhood and felt even stranger when picking up Kate. He almost felt like he was her limo driver rather than…well…what was he to her? He had no idea.

Kate bounced cheerily into the car, all smiles and perkiness. She was wearing a tight logo t-shirt and tight hip hugging jeans. Since high school, anything Kate wore was tight. While Gordo secretly reveled in how good she looked (never telling Miranda or Lizzie) he always felt weird looking at her in a sexual way. She had been such a pain in the ass in middle school and now he was checking out her thong in free period? The world was definitely changing.

"Hey Gordo!" she said, ducking into the car.

"Hey. How's it going?" he asked her.

"Alright. Got a test today." Kate turned to him and opened her eyes wide.

"What?" he asked, driving the car away from her house and down the road.

"You look like hell! Are you okay?" she asked. She put her hand on his thigh and he nearly flinched away he was so surprised.

"Uh…I just…I didn't get a lot of sleep. That's all." Gordo looked over at her and she smiled at him. He blushed. He wasn't used to this kind of attention before.

"Is there something on your mind?" she asked him.

"Nah, not really" he replied.

"I'm sure there is. Something's always on your mind."

"It's nothing, I swear." Gordo sounded ticked off and Kate decided to ignore it, for now. She pulled down the visor in front of her and used the car's mirror to re-apply a little makeup.

"So…are you excited about our little date on Friday?" she casually asked.

"Yeah, I am" answered Gordo, trying to sound cool. He felt really strange when he talked to Kate like this.

"Where are we going?" she asked him.

"I was thinking dinner and a movie or something." Kate smiled.

"That sounds really good." There was silence, but Gordo decided to speak up. He rubbed his bleary eyes, turned the corner, and took a deep breath.

"Kate?" he asked.

"Yep?" she answered, putting the makeup away.

"Why do you want to go out with me? I mean…it's just that you never really showed much interest in me before…" Gordo trailed off. The only sound in the car was the hum of outside passing by.

"Because…" Kate started, slowly. "Because…you didn't treat me like a piece of meat. All the other guys at school and at clubs and stuff see me as this cheerleader who would look great if I was draped over their arm. They all think I'm this ditzy little blonde...who…who doesn't have anything worthy to say or do." Gordo nodded along, understanding the situation she was in. Guys will be guys, even if it means being shallow and over-assuming – Gordo was a guy himself and he'd be the first to admit he sometimes jumped to conclusions far too soon.

"Anyways," continued Kate, "You never did that to me. I know I treat Lizzie and Miranda kinda badly, but you always seemed to take me as something more than that. Like I had something inside that was worth more to you than just good looks." There was more silence in the car.

Gordo felt awkward. That was the deepest thing he'd ever heard Kate say and it was about _him_. He was flattered, in awe, and worried at the same time. If he told Kate that Lizzie and he had something going, then she might be genuinely heartbroken. If he didn't repair the damage he did to Lizzie, then whatever friendship he had with her would be down the tubes.

It was a real dilemma and Gordo sure didn't feel like it was going to get better anytime soon.


	7. Broken

CHAPTER 7: BROKEN

As soon as Lizzie got home she slumped into her bed and sobbed. There was no way she was going to go to school today. She felt used, stupid, and confused about everything that had just occurred.

After every last tear had dried up, Lizzie fell into a deep sleep. The exhaustion and emotion had finally worn off and Lizzie was free to dream all she liked. Unfortunately, nightmares about Gordo would infest her head, making her toss and turn in anxiety and frustration. The two of them kissing, Gordo's confession – they would just replay in her head, and her emotions would swell and crash like waves in her heart.

When she woke up in the late afternoon, Lizzie was still in a daze. She slowly trudged around her empty house trying to figure out what to do. She wanted to do something to get out of the house, but felt lethargic and uncaring at the same time. All Lizzie knew is that she didn't want to see Gordo or Kate. She needed the comfort that only one person could provide.

Lizzie grabbed her phone and dialed the number. There were a couple of rings before the voice on the other end picked up.

"Hello?" asked Miranda. Lizzie sighed a breath of relief.

"Hey, it's Lizzie."

"Hey! Where were you today?" asked Miranda.

"I was at home."

"You sick or something?"

"Yeah…something like that. Look…can you come over?" Lizzie asked nervously. She hoped that Miranda wouldn't say no.

"Sure thing. Gordo coming too?" asked Miranda. Lizzie flinched at the name and felt some tears start to pour out.

"No, just you" Lizzie choked out before hanging up the phone. She went to the bathroom and showered, rubbing away all the grime from the past few hours. It was strangely warm and relieving and Lizzie felt a little better letting the water clean her skin.

Lizzie was changing into jeans and a t-shirt when she heard the doorbell ring. She ran downstairs and opened it, seeing Miranda there. Miranda smiled at her, and lifted her hand. She was holding a plastic bag full of ice cream boxes.

"Let's get to it" she said. Lizzie had to roll her eyes at the situation, but it made her smile

The two sauntered over to a couch in the living room and plopped down on it, handing out the tubs of ice cream and the plastic spoons. After a brief amount of small talk, Miranda finally piped up about Lizzie's problems.

"Is it Gordo?" she asked after Lizzie had been really quiet about the situation. Lizzie just looked at her.

"How'd you know?"

"I just do, it's who I am." Miranda smiled a bittersweet smile at her friend and she smiled back.

"Okay, here goes…" started Lizzie. She explained everything about the MP3 player, the kiss, the fight. She didn't have any more tears to cry, just confusion and anxiety. Miranda listened really carefully and thought things out thoroughly. After Lizzie was done ranting about Gordo, the two sat in silence, not looking at each other. Lizzie just felt terrible and Miranda felt awkward, but as usual, she had a solution to the problem.

"Look, Lizzie," Miranda started, "I don't know what's gonna happen or how you truly feel about Gordo. I don't know the entire situation perfectly. But what I do know, is that you need to be cheered up, and the usual ice-cream-and-talk isn't going to do it." Lizzie nodded at her friend.

"What do we do then?" she asked.

"You need a distraction" answered Miranda.

"What would that be?" asked Lizzie.

"I'm gonna take you out to that new club that's just opened downtown this Friday. It'll make you totally forget that Kate and Gordo are having a date that night." Lizzie smirked at that idea.

"Are you sure? Is it all ages?" Lizzie asked. Miranda nodded.

"Come on. We'll get dressed up, go there, dance the night away, and maybe meet a guy that would blow Gordo out of the water." Lizzie laughed.

"That sounds fantastic, Miranda." The two giggled and clapped, excitedly talking about what was going to happen. It was the happiest Lizzie had felt all day.


	8. Excitement

CHAPTER 8: EXCITEMENT

The week had passed by without incident. Lizzie and Gordo would nervously ignore each other in class and completely avoid one another during lunch and at their lockers. Miranda would speak to both of them but would mainly stay impartial and keep to herself. Kate would keep Gordo busy by hanging out with him or getting him to drive her to and from school and the mall. Before the Three Amigos (or for now, the former Three Amigos) knew it, the big Friday had come with all the bells and whistles that came with it.

Gordo was getting ready to head out with Kate. He had no idea what to wear. Kate was always ahead of the rest of the fashion pack and knew exactly how to look sexy, trendy, and ahead of her time. Gordo was just plain, old Gordo. That suited him fine, but he was just starting to grow weary of his too-plain style. Gordo thought of Lizzie as he picked out his outfit. Maybe because he was always so boring she never really thought of him romantically before. Thinking about her made him sad, however, and tried to push her out of his head and get a decent outfit together.

At Lizzie's house, both she and Miranda were dressing up for the hot night out at the club. Both their parents had let them go on the condition that what they wore something respectable and were home by one o'clock in the morning. Lizzie and Miranda both had no problem with coming home at that time, but finding a stylish club outfit that was "respectable" would be a challenge.

Lizzie settled on a white tank top that showed only a little cleavage and a little bit of her stomach and tight jeans. I was certainly plain, but she gussied it up with oodles of jewelry and makeup. Miranda went with a stylish tube top and a skirt that wasn't too short. The two looked at each other and gave the thumbs up, ready for the night out.

Gordo was very surprised when he met Kate at the restaurant. She had cleaned up very nicely, and although she was pretty-looking, she seemed to have toned her self down and had added some class to her outfit – not the usual "look at me as much as you can" clothes from high school. Gordo saw her and sat down at the table.

"Hey there" he said.

"Hey, how's it going?" she asked.

"Good, good. You look nice" he said, grinning at his pre-planned line.

"Well thank you. You look good too" she said, grinning back. Gordo felt good, a little nervous, but good. He was ready to have a good time.

Just ten minutes down the road, Lizzie and Miranda entered the club. A Top 40 hit played loudly as they looked around at the swirling lights, drinks, and people.

"This is pretty cool!" yelled Lizzie, trying to compensate for the loud music. Miranda just nodded.

"Let's go grab a drink!" Miranda yelled, and the two headed over to the drink bar.

"Hey, Gordo," started Kate, "I know you had your heart set on the movie tonight, but I kind of had another idea." Gordo looked at her.

"Is the night going that badly you want to end it after dinner?" he asked, a little taken aback. Kate laughed just shook her head and giggled.

"No, no, no. I want to spend more time with you, but I thought we could go to that new club that's just opened down the street" she said, clutching her hands together in a pleading style. Gordo inwardly sighed.

"I'm not a very good dancer" he said.

"Either am I" said Kate.

"What kind of music do they play?" he asked.

"Top 40 stuff and a little bit of techno I think" answered Kate, who was cocking her eyebrow. Gordo stuck out his tongue and winced.

"I hate that kind of music" he said.

"Me too, but…" said Kate, "You just seemed so wound up lately, and I was just trying to let you kick loose. I was a little worried." Kate looked down, embarrassed at her confession. Gordo smiled and blushed.

"That's really sweet of you" he said. He paused and looked at her. "Okay, I'll go." Gordo smiled as Kate clapped her hands together in glee and continued to eat her food.


	9. Love

CHAPTER 9: LOVE

Gordo and Kate ate their food quickly and paid the bill before walking out of the restaurant and heading down the street. The saw the club immediately from its spotlights and the lineup planted firmly outside. They got to the back of the line and moved up a few spots almost immediately. It was a good time for some conversation.

"Who was the last guy you dated?" Gordo asked. He didn't really want to know, but he was scrambling for something to say. Kate hummed and rolled her eyes to the sky, thinking.

"Steven Popadopolas. You know him?" she asked him.

"Yeah, I do. He used to try and beat me up in Grade Nine" Gordo said, smirking.

"Try?" asked Kate, looking at him.

"Yeah, he liked Lizzie and thought that we were an item. He thought that by beating me up Lizzie might go with him for a little while. Instead of anything happening, I kicked his ass" explained Gordo. There was a pause from Kate.

"You really like Lizzie, don't you?" she asked him. His face turned red.

"No" he gruffly answered.

"You're a terrible liar, David Gordon."

"I'm not lying."

"Then why is your face red?"

"Cause I always get asked that stupid question." Gordo crossed his arms in front of his chest and Kate looked at the ground.

"Well, all the evidence pointed to you liking her. That's all." Gordo sighed

"Look, it's our date. We shouldn't be talking about other girls right now" said Gordo. He hated lying to her – he did love Lizzie, but for now he was settling for Kate, the second best. It was a really good second best, but she didn't compare. That made Gordo feel terrible about the entire situation. He didn't want to compare all the girls to Lizzie, but it was just too hard.

Inside the club, Lizzie and Miranda were having a hell of a good time. They had been dancing hardcore for almost an hour – having bodies glistening with sweat and smiles that showed wear and tear - and had accumulated quite the circle of guys that would dance or talk or ogle them. Some of the guys would try to pick them up or offer them a drink but they'd just decline. Miranda was having the time of her life – she was laughing at how desperate the guys were to be with them and was having a field day as to who she would ask out on a date.

Lizzie, on the other hand, was having fun, but still couldn't get Gordo out of her head. She thanked Miranda for the opportunity to kick loose but she still knew in her heart of hearts that Gordo was the guy for her. Every time some random guy would try to dance with her she would turn her back. Miranda noticed this but didn't say anything. She knew what Lizzie was thinking but couldn't bring herself to start a conversation or a fight.

Everything was going perfectly fine until Miranda looked up at the front of the club where the entrance was and caught a glimpse of Gordo heading into the crowd. That big head of hair couldn't be mistaken for anything. Her mouth went agape and her mind wandered at why he was here.

"What is it?" asked Lizzie, brushing off another guy who tried to hit on her. Miranda looked at her.

"Nothing!" she said, a little too fast.

"Spit it out Miranda" said Lizzie. Miranda just sighed.

"Gordo's here." Lizzie's mouth flew open.

"What? Where?" she asked, looking around the club.

"I don't know, I just saw him go into the crowd over there" Miranda said, exasperated. She could see Lizzie tense up almost immediately and all she could do is roll her eyes. "Look Lizzie, we need to talk, now." Miranda grabbed Lizzie's hand and dragged her away from the dance floor.

Gordo took in the scenery a little apprehensively before heading towards the drink bar with Kate. The song was some techno he didn't really like and the girls all seemed a little easy and poorly dressed. Kate was acting chipper so Gordo forced out a smile when he ordered his vanilla coke.

"Come on, Gordo! Let's dance!" said Kate.

"But I just ordered a drink" he said. She frowned.

"And you didn't order me one?" Gordo shook his head.

"I forgot" he said. She rolled her eyes – in a proud display of the old Kate he remembered – but then smiled.

"After we grab your drink, you are dancing with me!" she said. It was Gordo's turn to roll his eyes.

"You don't want to see that" he said, a little venom in his voice. The drink was handed to him by the barkeeper and he looked over at Kate. She took his hand and started to pull him nearer the dance floor than where he wanted to be. He struggled, half-joking, half-serious.

Miranda had pulled Lizzie into the girl's washroom, and the two were standing next to some sinks. Girls milled around putting on makeup and chatting. Lizzie and Miranda didn't care about them and they were practically yelling at each other.

"Gordo's out there! Go talk to him!" said Miranda.

"No! He's been a total jerk!" said Lizzie.

"Why? Cause he FINALLY told you he loved you?"

"No! He took advantage of my feelings and of me!"

"How do you know that for sure?" asked Miranda. The glazed look on Lizzie's eyes told Miranda that there was no definite answer.

"I just…I just know. Okay?" said Lizzie. Miranda rolled her eyes.

"Look…You two love each other! Even without the songs on that MP3 player, you're still fawning over him like he's the end of the world for you! You like him! It just took those songs for you to realize it! Even if those aren't his own stupid little songs you still want him!" yelled Miranda, which caused some of the other bathroom patrons to stare. Lizzie took deep breaths and leaned her body against the sink.

"Maybe you're right" was all she could say.

"You're damn right I am! Now march your ass out there and find him!" exclaimed Miranda. Lizzie shot up and exited the bathroom fiercely, leaving Miranda rolling her eyes at the situation.


	10. Resolution

CHAPTER 10: RESOLUTION

Lizzie saw Gordo almost right away. He was near the drink bar, and Kate was pulling on his hand, trying to lead him to the dance floor. Gordo wasn't budging and that made Lizzie smile. Gordo would never dance, not to save the entire human race. Lizzie shook the smile out of her head. There were more important things to discuss.

"Gordo!" shouted Lizzie as she approached the two. Kate stopped fighting with Gordo and looked at Lizzie. Gordo looked dumbfounded by Lizzie's new sense of confidence.

"Yeah?" he answered in merely a croak. Lizzie finally made her way up to him and took his hand.

"We need to talk" she said, bluntly. Lizzie took Gordo's hand and started to lead him away, but Kate grabbed onto Gordo's arm.

"Where do you two think you're going?" she asked. Lizzie stared at her and gritted her teeth.

"Me and my best friend need to talk, just for a little bit" said Lizzie, the spit and venom incredibly apparent in her voice. Kate let go of Gordo's arm reluctantly and the two headed outside towards the front door. Once the two were standing away from all the people, Gordo turned towards Lizzie. He was surprised to see her, but even more surprised by her impulsive behavior.

Before he could ask about what was going on, Lizzie shocked him again by pressing her lips against his. He opened his eyes wide insurprise, but soon the calming feel of her lips soothed him to the point of kissing her back. They kissed for a few moments before separating. They both caught their breath.

"I really love you Gordo, and I'm sorry for treating you badly this week. I just freaked out" said Lizzie, who now blushed and looked at the ground, remembering her once humble and embarrassed personality.

"I don't know what to say" said Gordo, still reeling from the events of the past few minutes.

"Tell me you love me…" Lizzie said quietly, looking into his eyes. "…and mean it." Gordo stared at her in disbelief.

"I love you Lizzie" he said, smiling. Lizzie gulped loudly and kissed Gordo again, more passionately and longer than she had previously.

"Wow" was all Gordo could say.

"Double wow" said Lizzie. Gordo held Lizzie in his arms and smiled.

"But what about the MP3 Player? Don't you love whoever owns that?" he asked. Lizzie rolled her eyes at how silly he was for bringing it up at a moment like the one they were sharing. He had a real knack for saying the wrong thing at the wrong time.

"I don't care about any damn MP3 Player!" yelled Lizzie. "It's you! Okay?" Gordo nodded, grinning like the happiest man on earth.

"Wait? What MP3 Player?" asked a voice from beside them. It was Kate. It didn't take a genius to figure out that Kate had followed them and had listened to the entire conversation.

"I foundan MP3 Player and I thought it was Gordo's. I fell in love with him over that thing" said Lizzie. Kate looked at the ground quizzically.

"Was it about this big and silver?" she asked Lizzie, making a hand motion to represent the size of the player.

"Uh…yeah" answered Lizzie, who looked at Gordo.

"That's my player" said Kate. "I lost it about a week and a half ago." Gordo looked at Kate and laughed. He was too tired for games.

"Are you serious?" he asked.

"Yes I am!" yelled Kate. She was angrier than expected, and she pointed at Lizzie. "First you steal my Player and now my guy! What's wrong with you?" Lizzie raised her arms up to defend herself.

"I didn't steal either!" she said. Kate just stopped pointing and slumped, giving up.

"It's no use. It's no use at all. I finally find a guy and he already has the love of his life. I'll just go back to being the cheerleader slut…" Kate said, trailing off. She turned around and slowly walked away, leaving Gordo and Lizzie to ponder what had just happened.

It took little explaining for Miranda to get the whole situation down pat, and as the three headed towards Gordo's car, she could see that there was a bright future for the Three Amigos. Gordo and Lizzie loosely held hands and talked quietly and Miranda was free to watch over them in the quiet, all-knowing way she always did. She might not have gotten the thanks right away, but she knew in her heart of hearts that she was the reason Gordo and Lizzie were together, and the reason Lizzie had acted so brashly.

She was happy to see them together, and the drive home was proof of how deeply in love they both were. Every now and then, she'd catch the two looking at each other, or finding an excuse to touch, or just the little things that couples do. In the end, she knew that's how it should be and that everything was in its right place.


End file.
